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1999
Odysseus and the Phaeacians
Corinne Ondine Pache Trinity University, [email protected]
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Repository Citation Pache, C. O. (1999). Odysseus and the Phaeacians. In M. Carlisle & O. Levaniouk (Eds.), Nine essays on Homer (pp. 21-33). Rowman & Littlefield.
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Odysseus and the Phaeadans
Corinne Ondine Pache
Two unique events occur in Book 11 of the Odyssey as Odysseus tells the Phaeacians about his visit to Hades: first, Odysseus includes a story known as the "catalogue of women" that seems to have nothing to do with himself and his own adventures or with anybody else in the Odyssey; second, there is an interruption, known as the "intermezzo," in Odysseus' story, and a conversation takes place among Odysseus, Arete, and Alkinoos before the narrative is resumed. These two occurrences have much to say about the interaction between Odysseus and the Phaeacians, and also about the interaction between the epic poet and his audience. Some experts think that the whole or parts of Book 11 are later insertions, and the catalogue of heroines especially is often regarded as a later "interpolation."1 The very concept of interpolation is not one that is particularly helpful in dealing with a text that is the result of a long oral tradition rather than the original output of a single individual. It seems to me ultimately irrelevant whether the visit to Hades became part of the story later or when the catalogue of heroines was included in Book 11. My concern is with what is there, and how to interpret it. The Nekyia not only makes sense in the received text of the Odyssey, but it plays a very central and meaningful role in the story and has many ramifications throughout the narrative. At Alkinoos' court in Scheria, Odysseus recounts his adventures. Before he does so, he spends a day with the Phaeacians, feasting and competing in
1. Kirk 1962:239 and Page 1955:21-51 think the entire book is a later "interpolation." Germain 1954:330-332 considers that parts of Book 11, including the catalogue of women, are later "insertions," although he gives to the Nekyia itself a central place in the Odyssey. Cf. Heubeck and Hoekstra 1989:75-76, 90-91 for a surveyof secondaryliterature on the subject.
21 22 Part I: MultigenericHomer Corinne Ondine Pache: Odysseus and thePhaeacians 23 athletic games. During the course of this day, Odysseus learns much about thereby hinting at what his subsequent narrative should focus on. Similarly, the Phaeacians. Before he even arrives at their court, Nausikaa makes it clear Odysseus seems to react to Alkinoos' speech by offering the Phaeacians an to him that her mother plays a central role in Scheria and that it is from her, account of his adventures that they will enjoy. Not that he needs to change rather than from Alkinoos, that he should ask for help (Od. 6.303-315). the facts to please them but by emphasizing some details here and there he Odysseus hears the Phaeacians' singer, Demodokos, three times and is told can adapt his story to suit this particular audience. In one case in particular, by Alkinoos exactly what it is that makes the Phaeacians happy ( Od. 8.246- when he tells the Phaeacians about his encounter with the heroinesof the past 249): in Book 11, Odysseus steps out of his role as autobiographer and switches genre to become a genealogical poet to delight his host and, more
OU yap nvyµOxo1 £iµtv 0cµuµoV£<; ouot na>.a10Tai, particularly, his hostess. a>.Ao nooi KpamvW<; 0foµ£v Kai v11voiv &p10To1, Alkinoos tells Odysseus that the Phaeacians like stories, but he is also very aiEi f>' �µiv f>ai<; T£
are for we not faultless in our boxingnor as wrestlers, "w 'OovoEv, To µ(v ou Tio' HoicoµEv Eioop6wvnc; but we do runlightly on our feet, and arethe best seamen, t)mponi)o T' (µEv ical foiic>.onov, oTo n no>.>.ovc; and always the feast is dear tous, and the lyre and dances (36oicu yaia µi>.a1vo no>.vompfo<;0cv0pWnov<; and changes ofclothing and hot baths and�. lt!EVOEa T'OcQTVVOVTOC. 00 Ev ic( Tl<; ouf>( i'f>o1TO' ool &' (m µ[v µoo
beds', which all denote romantic love: t:'i'µaTa and >.onp& in the Odyssey Then Alkinoos answered him in turn and said to him: are often the prelude to love, as is shown by Nausikaa's remark to her father "Odysseus, as we look upon you we do not imagine that her three bachelor brothers are 'forever wishing to go to the dances in that you area deceptive or thievish man,the kind freshly washed clothing' (ol o' ait:l EeEAOVOI VEOnAUTO E°i'µaT' EXOVTE<;, that the dark earth breeds in great numbers,people Od. 6.64),2 while for Nausikaa herself, washing-of both clothing and who wander widely, herself-is clearly part of wedding preparations (Od. 6.92-97).3 Whereas the maldn&up stories. in which one could not secanything. Phaeacians enjoy all of the things mentioned by Alkinoos, I will argue that There is a graceyoon your words, and thereis love occupies a special place in the list, not only as something that the noble sense within you, Phaeacians like in and of itself but also as a favorite subject of storytelling. and expertly, as a singer would do, you have toldthe Alkinoos plainly discloses the Phaeacians' tastes to Odysseus, perhaps storyof your own dismalsorrows and of all the Argives."
This is a fascinating passage that reveals much about Alkinoos' 2. It is interesting to noteth at Penelopehas troublerecognizing Odysseus because expectations, and maybe also about those of the audience, both internal and of his icaico. . . E'iµaTa Od. 23.94. 3. See Seaford1994:35-36 for bathing andputting on fine clothes as preparations for a wedding in theOdyssey. 24 Part/: Multigeneric Homer CorinneOndine Pac he: Odysseus and thePhaeacians 25 external. Alkinoos starts by establishing that he does not consider Odysseus of subjects. As Odysseus is talking with his dead mother, crowds of heroines to be among the liars and tricksters who make up stories4 from which one suddenly approach him (Od. 11.225-234): could not learn anything. The criteria by which he judges Odysseus' tales, however, have nothing to do with their truth-value. He praises Odysseus for vwr µ[v W<; tniEOOIV OcµE1J36µE0', ai 5£ yvvaiKE<; the grace of his words, µopq>� foiwv, and for his noble mind, q>pEvEc; �Xv0ov, chpvvEVyap exyavQnEpOE!pOVEIO, £o0>.ai. Alkinoos is unquestionably more concerned with aesthetics than 00001 0cp1on;wv &Xoxo1 foov �5£ 0vyoTpEC;. truth. Similarly, the catalogue of heroines as it is presented by Odysseus ai f>' exµq>' oTµo K(AOIVOV OcOAAEE<; �yEpi0ovTO, seems to be more concerned with satisfying the Phaeacians' desire for beauty OVTOP tyw J3ovAEVOV. one.><; t io1µ1 EICOOT')V. rather than with quenching any thirst for perfect accuracy. �5E 5€ µ011e0Ta 0vµov expicrn:l q>oivno J3ovXrr At the beginning of Odysseus' story in Book 11, Odysseus kills the onaoaµEVO<; TOVV')KE<; &op noxicx; napa µ()pOu sacrificial sheep and all the psukhai gather by the pit of freshly drawn blood OUK E'iwv nivEIV aµo naoo<; aTµo IC(AOIVOV. (Od. 11.36-43): oi 5£ npoµvo0Tivo1 tn�roov, �5£ £icaoTo OV yoVOV if,ayopEVEV' lyw 5' (pfoVOV cmaoac. ai 5' exyipovro lf'VXOi vn[� 'Ep{J3Ev<; VEKVWV KOTaTE0V')WTWV' Sowe two were conversing back and forth, and thewomen came to me, vvµq>OI T' �1°0EOi TE nOAVTA()TOi TE y(pOVTE<; forsplendid Persephone urged them on. nop0cv11eoi T0 exToXoi vEOmv0fo 0vµov £xouoo1, These were all who had been the wives and daughters of the best noAXoi 5' OVTOµEVOI xoXic�pEOIV EYXEl(lOIV, men, &v5pc<; 0cpf1tq>0To1, J3cJ3poTwµ(vo nvxc' £xovn<;· and now they gathered in swarms around the dark blood. o'i noAXoi mpi J360pov tq>oiTwv &XXo6Ev &XXcx; I the n thought about a way toquestion them, each by herself, 0rnmoi(l iaxfr €µ£ 5£ xXwpov 5io<; l:\pE1. and as I thought, this was the plan that seemed best to me; drawing out the long-edgedsword from beside my strong thigh, andthe souls of the perished dead gathered, up out of Erebus, I would not let them all drinkthe dark blood at the same time. brides, and young unmarried men, and long-suffering old men, So they waited andcame to me jn order. and each one virgins, tender and with the sorrows of young heartsupon them, told me about her origin, and I questioned all of them. and many fighting men killed in battle, stabbed with brazen spears still carrying their bloody armor upon them. Odysseus says that the women are urged on by Persephone (chpvvEv yap These came swarming around the pit from every direction oyav� nEpOE
4. Cf. Carlisle (this volume) for discussion of pseudea as a genre and for a different interpretation of this passage. 5. Doherty1991:153. 26 PartI: Multigeneric Homer CorinneOndine Pache: Odysseus andthe Phaeacians 27
belied by the passage quoted above (Od. 11.36-43). Women and men, young navTa stands as a marker that whatever follows is of particular interest not and old, allapproach the pit of blood together. only to Odysseus' wife but also to wives in general and to Arete in particular. The first shades that approach Odysseus either know him or know As a matter of fact, Odysseus does not mention the women when he tells something about him. Elpenor and Antikleia know Odysseus personally, and Penelope about his visit to Hades. Teiresias has important information to impart to him. These three characters As the women crowd around the blood, Odysseus decides he,wants to talk have good reasons to talk to Odysseus; the other women do not. There is need to them. He prevents them from drinking the blood all at the same time so of a further justification for the encounter with the heroines, and that he may question each one separately. From this passage ( Od. 11.225- Persephone's encouragement provides a plausible, though a little puzzling, 234) , the scene seems to be very orderly: Odysseus is standing by the blood explanation. with his sword, and the heroines come one by one, al OE npoµVf'lOTiva1 Just before the heroines approach, Antikleia asks Odysseus to remember tn�"foav, to tell their stories. Odysseus also makes clear that he questions all everything so that he may tell his wife later on ( Od. 11.223-224): of them, tyw o' tpfovov 6naoac;. After describing fourteen of these women, however, Odysseus stops his narrative and declares that he could not CxAACx cp6wo5E TOXIOTOI AIAOli£o· TOIVTOI 5£ naVTOI tell of all the heroines before the night would end, and that, besides, it is time i'o0', 'i'va Kai µn6mo0£ T£6 Elm;io0a yuva1Ki. for sleep (Od. 11.328-332):
But you must strive back toward the light again with all speed; naoac;5' OUK av iyw µu0fiooµa1 ov5' 6voµfivw, and remember all thesethings for your wife, so you may tell 0ooac; �pwwv bA6xouc;i'5ov �St 0vya1poc;· her hereafter. npiv yap KEV Kai vvf,cp0iT' aµ�pOTo<;. QAACx KOli WP'l £ii5£1v, � hri vfia 0o�v i>.06VT' le; haipouc; TOuTo ot nav10 seems to introduce what follows, the catalogue of � OVTOii· heroines, rather than what precedes.6 Antikleia does not tell Odysseus anything that would be of particular interest to Penelope. The only But I could nottell about all of them nor name all the women information she gives that Penelope would not already know is the passage I saw who were the wives and daughters of heroes, about what happens to the 1t1uxai (psukhal) after death. This TauTa OE for before thatthe divine night would give out. Buti t is time now for my sleep, either joining my companions on board the fastship, or here. 6. There is only one other attested instance of TavTa 5£ navTa in the Homeric corpus, at Iliad 9.35. In this case, it seems to refer both to what precedes and to what The catalogue of women is a whole in itself, and, when Odysseus follows, asDiomedes rebukes Agamemnon (//. 9.34-36): interrupts himself, saying that there is not enough time to tell everything, he CrAK�v µiv µ01 npwTov 6v£ifnoac; iv �avaoio1v. has in fact concluded his own catalogue. There is a progression, both cpoc; (µ£v CrnTOAEµOv Kai CxVOAK15a TOIVTOI 5£ navTOI chronological and also "ethical," as one goes from Tyro to Eriphyle-from i'oao' 'Apy£iwv �µiv vfo1 �5£ yipoVT£c;. the very ancient past to more recent time and from a heroine. who bears He starts his speech by telling Agamemnon that he should not have treated him in Poseidon's children to an unworthy wife who is bribed with a necklace. This such a way previously and then goes on to describe Agamemnon's faults and progression makes the catalogue a complete entity. Although only fourteen weaknesses. I think that the TavTa 5£ navTa that all the Argives are supposed to know include both Agamemnon's first insult and his more general failings as heroines are actually mentioned, one is left with the sense that many described by Diomedes. 28 Part/: MultigenericHomer CorinneOndine Pache: Odysseus and thePhaeacians 29 generations of women have come to Odysseus. When he breaks off, Then, Agamemnon very conveniently shows up (Od 11.387-389): Odysseus has said all he intends to say about the women.
Odysseus interrupts his account on the pretext of lack of time and �>.0€ 5' ini 't'VX� 'Aycxµiµvov<><; 'ATp£10cxo sleepiness. Although he may have completed the catalogue of heroines, oxvvµiv1y mpi 5' o>.>.01 clcy')yipcx0', 00001 &µ' CIVT� Odysseus is in fact still in the middle of his own story when he breaks off. o'i'KCV iv Aiyio0010 0avov Kcxi n6Tµov infonov. This interruption is the only one and stands at the very center of Odysseus' narrative.7 The catalogue of heroines, then, is Odysseus' gift to Arete, and he there came the soul ofAgamemnon, the son of Atreus, interrupts himself to check whether his storytelling is effective and pleasing grieving, and the psukhai of the other men, who died with him to her and the Phaeacians. and met their doom in the house of Aegisthus, were gathered The catalogue of women is obviously much to Arete's liking. She around him. compliments Odysseus and calls for more gifts to be given to him. She thus seems to accept Odysseus' offering and to reciprocate it with material Of course, Odysseus has to pick up his story at a later stage. After the rewards.8 exchange with Alkinoos, there would be no point in telling about the rest of As we know from Alkinoos' speech (Od. 8.246-249), the Phaeacians love the heroines, since his host has made it clear he wanted to hear about to listen to stories, and they also especially appreciate love stories, which in Odysseus' companions. Still, the transition is a surprising one. If Odysseus fact make up most of the catalogue. It is also very clear that both Arete's and has indeed questioned each and every woman in turn, wouldn't they have left Alkinoos' thirst for stories is not sated and that they want Odysseus to go on after telling their stories to him? Why would Persephone need to scatter them and finish the story of his adventures. all? None of the other ghosts seem to stay around after they have spoken with After Arete expresses her delight in Odysseus' storytelling, Alkinoos Odysseus. speaks and asks Odysseus to go on and to tell if he saw any of his By describing the scattering of the heroines by Persephone and by companions from Troy. And there Odysseus seems to change his story to specifying that his encounter with the heroes happened right after the one accommodate Alkinoos. He could simply answer Alkinoos' question and say, with the women, Odysseus makes his own narrative somewhat suspect. It "Oh yes, I did see Agamemnon and Achilles and Ajax," but instead he seems that he is changing his story to make it more agreeable to Alkinoos, backtracks to the women. Suddenly, Persephone is back, and she scatters the just as the catalogue of women seems to beincluded to please Arete. heroines in all directions (Od. 11.385-386): Although the content of the catalogue is meant mainly to please Arete, Odysseus has to incorporate it in his narrative in a realistic manner. Since the CIVTCxp ind 't'VXCx<; µtv OTI£0KE0Clo' a>.>.vo1<; a>.>.i:i heroines have no direct ties to him, there is need for an outside explanation. ayv� nEpOHpOVEIO yvva1KWV 01)>.vnpawv. And here enters Persephone: the women approach Odysseus because Persephone encourages them to do so, and, when Odysseus wants to go on Now afterpure Persephone hadsc attered the female with other adventures, here comes Persephone again, to do exactly what psukhaiof the women, driving them off in every direction. Odysseus needs. Odysseus uses Persephone as a device to introduce a special kind of performance. 7. Odysseus interrupts himself at verse 328, at which point the account of the By telling these heroines' stories, Odysseus steps outside his role of Nekyiais halfway through the 640 lines of our receivedtext. autobiographer and switches genre to become a genealogical poet. 8. As Calvert Watkins puts it, "poet and patron exist on a reciprocal gift-giving basis; the poet's gift is his poem." See Watkins 1994:536-543 for discussion of an Irish word for 'poem' and 'gift'. 30 Part/: MultigenericHomer CorinneOndine Pache: Odysseus and the Phaeacians 31
Catalogues fonn a genre in themselves and are found both as independent different episodes carefully arranged around it, while the Nekyia itself lies at entities and included in other narratives.9 Although this is the only fonnal the center of Odysseus' adventures. 14 catalogue in the Odyssey, there are several such lists in the Iliad. The Clearly, then, Odysseus takes the Phaeacians' taste into account as he catalogue of ships (//. 2.484-760) is the most famous example. One also finds relates his adventures. Not only do his stories reflect the themes Alkinoos Zeus' list of his lovers (//. 14.317-328) and the catalogue of Nereids (//. praised in his speech ( Od. 8.246-249), but he also echoes the very words 18.39-49). In the Theogony, we are told that the Muses delight Zeus with Alkinoos used. By looking closely at the visit to Hades, one starts to see how genealogies (44-52), much in the same way that Odysseus delights Arete.10 Odysseus tailors his tale to his audience. Odysseus gives the Phaeacians what Odysseus as a poet seems to do precisely what the poet of the Odyssey as a they like and what they ask for. whole avoids. Typically, epic avoids references to particular locales or I would argue that the catalogue of women is mostly about love, £uvai. audiences and tends toward as universal an appeal as possible. Odysseus in The catalogue describes the ouic: arrcxpw>.101 £uvai of the gods (Od. 11.249). the Odyssey tailors his tale to his audience and introduces elements that are Euvai is a recurrent theme throughout the Odyssey and Greek literature, and particularly adapted to it in terms both of content and of form.11 This is an interesting parallel is found in Mimnennus 1 : particularly noticeable in the stories immediately preceding and following the intennezzo.12 Ti<; oi j3ie<;, Ti oi npnvov &np xpvo�<; 'Aq>poOiTf')<;; There is a wonderful symmetry on both sides of the intennezzo. The n0vaif')v, on µ01 µf')KET1 TcxiiTcx µ£.>-01, catalogue of women is balanced by Odysseus' encounter with the Greek icpvnTcxOiocp1.>-6To< icai µEi>-1xcx f>Wpcx icai Euv6, heroes. Stories of wives and husbands are told by heroines and heroes for the of' f\131'\<; Civ0Ea yiyvna1 apnoAfo ovOpao1v r)o( yvva1(iv· delight of Arete and Alkinoos. This symmetry has been noted before and likened to that of geometric vase painting.13 Odysseus ends his catalogue What life, what delight is there without Golden Aphrodite? with Eriphyle and resumes the narrative with Agamemnon telling about May I die when I care about such things no more, Clytemnestra: on each side of the intermezzo stands a bad wife who has hidden Jove and honey-sweet gifts and � killed her husband. The intennezzo is at the center of the Nekyia, with its such as are the alluring flowers of youth for both men and women.
. See West 1985 on genealogical catalogues and on the Hesiodic catalogue of 9 Love is delightful to both men and women, and so are poems about love. women. 10. And just as the Muses tell Zeus about his own genealogy, Odysseus starts his We know that the Phaeacians find £°i'µaTa, >.onp6, £uvai particularly narrative with Poseidon, to whom Arete and Alkinoos are both related. As West delightful. Such are the things they care for, and about such subjects are the 1985:9 notes, the relationship between catalogues and audiences is generally implicit best songs made. And in the Odyssey, the Phaeacians delight in the love rather than .explicit. stories told not only by their guest Odysseus but also in the one told by their 11. Although Odysseus somewhat subverts epic narrative rules, he is also appropriating the medium in much the same way Achilles does in the Iliad by own singer, Demodokos. becoming the epic poet, as it were. Martin 1989:222 notes that Achilles' use of Shortly after Alkinoos' speech about the Phaeacians' tastes, Demodokos language is unique and that "the 'language of Achilles' is none other than that of the sings his second song, about the illicit love of Aphrodite and Ares (Od. monumental composer." Is there a sense in which the hero of an epic poem has to be an epic poet? 8.266-366). Here again, the song picks up not only the themes dear to the 12. For more on audience conditionngi and the dependence of performers on their Phaeacians but also the very words Alkinoos just used. Demodokos uses the audiences, see Nagy 1995:171-172. 13. See Myres 1952:1-11 for a comparison between epic and geometric art. See Webster 1954:259-260 fora discussion of thesymmetry ofthe N ekyai . 14. Germain 1954:333. 32 PartI: Multigeneric Homer Corinne OndinePache : Odysseusand the Phae acians 33 word "bed" at the beginning of the song, Xixoc; o' �1oxuv£ i::oi £vv�v 'he Greek heroes, and, short of describing actual 0foi::£>.o £pyo, he puts them on disgraced his (Hephaistos') marriage and bed' (Od. 8.269). The song then Herakles' sword-belt. goes on to detail the love affair between Ares andAphrodite and its discovery Aversion to liars and cheats, such as those described by Alkinoos, by Hephaistos. At the end of the song, Demodokos again uses one of the reverberates throughout the Odyssey and the Iliad. Just as Achilles hates a words just uttered by Alkinoos, aµ
where wondrous works had been figured on it
It is striking that Odysseus chooses to use these very same words. It seems as though he was adapting not only the content but also the form of his stories to his audience. Alkinoos asks for stories about heroes and efoir:£>.o £pyo, and his guest literally answers those wishes: Odysseus tells of the ghosts of
15. The adjective occurs twice in the Iliad and twice in the Odyssey. At II. 3.130, the fonnula6ioicEXo t'pyo is used by Iris to describe the deeds of the Trojansand the Greeks to Helen and, at II. 23.107, the adjective 6ioicEXov is used by Achilles to describe Patroklos'gh ost.